Hyperesponsiveness of T-cells lead to cerebral malaria

Abstract

The prevalence of malaria in the world was estimated between 300-500 million clinical cases every year, and the annual mortality rate is about 1-1,5 million people. Cerebral malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum, is a complicated malaria that contributing to higher mortality rate. The first exposure to malarial antigen will be responded by primed antigen specific T cells. On reinfection, the primed T cells produce greater amounts of IFN-which act synergistically with malarial endotoxins to upregulate the production of TNF leading to an increased risk of cerebral malaria or systemic (endotoxic) shock. Therefore, cerebral malaria is an immunological disease. For this reason, it is necessary to find out drugs that able to reduce the immunopathological effects of cytokines leading to cerebral malaria.